Sunday, May 31, 2009

"Write or Die is a web application that encourages writing by punishing the tendency to avoid writing. Start typing in the box. As long as you keep typing, you're fine, but once you stop typing, you have a grace period of a certain number of seconds and then there are consequences. "

*I haven't tried Write or Die but I have looked at it with interest. I found the link via a twitter post and saved it for a quiet day. I may give it a shot on Tuesday when I can concentrate on writing while the house is empty. ~ Apryl

the following questions are for a Character Map Exercise to help you build a solid character.

Character’s name and age; other personal detailsWhat does he/she most love?What does he/she most hate?What he/she eat for breakfast?How did he/she last vote in the last election, if at all?Where did he/she go to school?Does he/she have any noticeable traits which affect everyday life; short-sightedness, a limp, colour-blindness, can’t tell left from right?Does he/she drive? If so what? If not, why not?

How would this person be most likely to react to/ interact with:Margaret Thatcherthe Dalai Lamaan estate agent someone spitting in the streetModern artA pornographic filmEast EndersA friend getting so drunk they couldn’t walkA screaming babyMarket researcher in the street

Where does this person buy clothes? Are clothes important to him/her?What music is currently on this person’s CD/ipod ?Is this person allergic to anything?Do they have any medical history we need to know about?What are his/her greatest talents, and greatest weaknesses?Would you trust this person with a secret? Why/ why not?Could this person ever be unfaithful in a long-term relationship?What sort of books, magazines or newspapers does this person read?What is his/her biggest fear?What is his/her biggest secret?Write down five words that describe this person.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

This was quite a hard book to get into at first. There are quite a lot of different characters to remember and two different storylines which was not immediatly apparent. I fell i would have made it easier if I had first read the trilogy 'Chronicles of the Raven' as this book deos refer back a few times and I think reading them would have given a good insight into this book. On th eplus side the raven re easy to like as characters and your find yourself wanting them to survive and reading more of their adventures. - Sharon Book Club Member

Apparently the BBC reckons most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here. The list was bumbling about facebook and blogland and is apparently a bastardization of a "most popular" books list with some high brow pretentious books thrown in. I shall look up a "classic" list and a sci-fi list as well.

Instructions:1) Look at the list and put an ‘x’ after those you have read ENTIRELY2) Add a ‘+’ to the ones you LOVE.3) Star (*) those you plan on reading.4) Tally your total at the bottom.

Monday, May 11, 2009

You couldn’t actually see the portal, the landscape looked the same, no matter where you were standing, if you walked north or south of the gateway, you continued on your travels unaware. If you walked into the portal on the other hand, the world changed completely, as it transported you to Whitewater in Archipelago, a city unlike no other. The talented, could learn to locate and navigate these portals. Nathaniel was one such person, tall, skinny, lank haired, shabbily clothed, as unassuming as a person could be, his only moniker a cigar permanently adhered to the right of his mouth.